Tommy Cheng, vice president of strategic marketing science at Nielsen SAN FRANCISCO – As content continues to proliferate online, consumers are increasingly hard-pressed to distinguish between credible sources and sources masquerading as credible, according to a panel March 27 at ad:tech San Francisco. The “Trusted versus Branded in a Content Saturated World” session discussed the importance of locating credible sources and avoiding an overtly self-promotional style. While user reviews are often touted as a beacon for consumers, the panel concluded that independent expert content still holds the most sway. “Nobody wants to be sold to,” said Peyman Nilforoush, cofounder/CEO of inPowered , San Francisco. “What’s really foundational to us as consumers is access to credible information,” he said. “Without it we’re kind of crippled when making decisions.” Karaoke effect The adv...